EXCLUSIVE BY MIKE KEEGAN: The League One side have instead been handed a five-point penalty which is suspended for 18 months, in what will be viewed as a major boost for the club.

Research undertaken at the University of Oslo shows that dope cheats such as Justin Gatlin could still be benefiting from taking banned substances years after initial usage.

Next month’s World Championships men’s 100m final is in danger of rivalling the 1988 Olympic final in Seoul as the ‘Dirtiest Race in History’.

American sprinter Justin Gatlin continued his fine form by clocking 9.78 to win the 100 metres at the Herculis Diamond League meet on Friday.

Usain Bolt turns 29 on Friday. There might be a modest slice of cake and a rendition of Happy Birthday from his Jamaican team-mates but otherwise the significance of the day will be ignored.

OLIVER HOLT: If Justin Gatlin wins, it will be a terrible indictment of a sport. If Usain Bolt wins, it will merely reinforce the idea that he is all that stands between athletics and oblivion.

Justin Gatlin is increasingly confident that Usain Bolt will do a U-turn on his retirement and return to the track for Tokyo 2020. Bolt walked away from athletics after the World Championships.

EXCLUSIVE - RIATH AL-SAMARRAI: British Athletics will be spared the embarrassment of Justin Gatlin racing at its inaugural Athletics World Cup in London next month.

PETE JENSON: Barcelona will need to raise funds this summer if they are to finance a bid for Neymar or Lautaro Martinez against a backdrop of massive losses because of the coronavirus shutdown.

Muller has been at the Bundesliga giants since 2008 and has put pen to paper on a new deal until June 2023. The 30-year-old crucially kept his social distance for some very unusual photos.

Jerome Boateng's year in the Premier League between 2010 and 2011 was one to forget. He failed to earn a first XI place at Manchester City and was often played out of position at right back.

Bayern Munich president Herbert Hainer says Thomas Muller is as symbolic to the city as the annual and world-celebrated Oktoberfest.

KIT HOLDEN: The love affair between Bayern Munich and Thomas Muller is one of modern football's immovable certainties. A local boy with a goofy grin, Muller is the apple of Bayern's eye.

Philippe Coutinho's agent has revealed that the midfielder would relish returning to the Premier League at some stage.

Kingsley Coman joined Bayern Munich originally on loan when Pep Guardiola was manager. The French international has praised his former manager as the best 'a winger can have'.

Philippe Coutinho (right) has spent the season at Bayern Munich after being frozen out of the Barca first-team, but the Chelsea target could be handed a surprise return by Quique Setien (left).

Hasan Salihamidzic confirmed there had been no resolution to contract negotiations with Manuel Neuer, but confirmed the Germany international has been placated after his outburst last week.

The Brazilian is currently on loan at Bayern Munich but has not done enough in the Bundesliga to convince the league leaders to make his move permanent. Chelsea now may not move, either.

KIT HOLDEN IN GERMANY: On Monday morning, the Bundesliga waited with bated breath for news out of Cologne. When it came, German football breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has insisted his players will need a proper pre-season as he wrestles with getting his side back to fitness for Project Restart.  

Bernie Sanders raised $47 million in February for his presidential campaign, more than doubling former Vice President Joe Biden's $18 million haul.

Texan author Marianne Williamson, who ended her campaign for president earlier this year, blasted pundits who claimed Joe Biden's campaign was a 'resurrection'.

PETE JENSON IN SPAIN: LaLiga was heading for its most exciting conclusion in years. Even those who would benefit from drawing a line under the season with the table left as it is want it finishing properly.

Both Manchester clubs are long-term admirers of the Atletico star, who has a huge release clause in his current contract of €150million and recently helped knock Liverpool out of the Champions League.

PETE JENSON: Not for the first time in his career Diego Godin has been linked with a move to Manchester United the club he might have signed for in 2018.

Barcelona hurried their signing of Gustavo Maia from Sao Paulo in order to beat competition from Liverpool and Atletico Madrid. Barca have reportedly agreed to pay an initial fee of £1million.

Manchester United 'are growing increasingly confident they could sign Saul Niguez in a club record £135million deal' as they look to replace Paul Pogba.

The Premier League giants have been long-term admirers of the 25-year-old Spanish international but he has a release clause of £135million in his Atletico contract.

PETE JENSON IN SPAIN: Proposals to take the current La Liga table as final and use them to decide European places for next season has sent shockwaves through the Spanish game.

The Brazilian has faced the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo during an illustrious career but says the notoriously tricky former Chelsea striker was the toughest to get the better of.

The 20-year-old has already made over 50 appearances for Valencia since making his first team debut as a 17-year-old back in 2017 and has been linked with a move to a host of top clubs.

When Matteo Guendouzi joined Arsenal in an £8million deal from Ligue 2 side Lorient in the summer of 2018, his signing was meant to be one for the future.

The four-day Festival was staged as planned in front of 250,000 people, with additional hygiene measures in place due to the coronavirus pandemic, and concluded on March 13. 

The midfielder is a top target for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side with the club prepared to bid up to £70million as well as offer him a huge salary increase.

Manchester City and Manchester United have been given a boost in their pursuit of Saul Niguez, as Barcelona have decided not to sign the defensive midfielder, according to Mundo Deportivo.

Mikel Arteta had identified Partey as a transfer target earlier in the season, with the Gunners boss hoping to convince the board to strike a deal for the 26-year-old when football returns to normality.

Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero has heaped praise on Virgil van Dijk, admitting the Liverpool defender's physical attributes make him extremely tough to play against.

Jesse Lingard is at a crossroads in his career. He is out of favour at his boyhood club, Manchester United. But these players show that leaving Old Trafford might not be the best option...

Amid unhappiness amongst relegation-threatened clubs on home advantage being lost, the Premier League made it clear last Friday that all 20 grounds could be used next season.

SAMI MOKBEL: Wembley is re-emerging as a site to host Premier League games as part of Project Restart. Plans to play out the remaining 92 fixtures at neutral venues were discussed last Friday.

Paul Ince has called on Manchester United to end the 'Paul Pogba circus', backing manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to build a side based around the 'United Way.'

Liverpool lead second-place Manchester City by 25 points, and Hugo Lloris insists 'everyone' within the game wants to see the 2019-20 campaign reach its natural conclusion on the pitch. 

Cologne have ramped up checks following the three positive tests, a development that will alert the Premier League as they monitor how Germany are attempting to resume football.

Hancock has offered a glimmer of light to football and horse racing fans hoping to see the sports return to their screens after saying it was a possibility should sufficient testing be in place.

Arsenal have already welcomed players back to their training ground for individual training and the rest of the top flight will be ordering stars to social distance when they return to training.

EXCLUSIVE: Premier League clubs could offer an app to fans which would send virtual cheers or jeers from their homes to stadiums, in an attempt to generate an atmosphere for matches.

Smith, who has been in charge since 2018 and led Villa back to the top flight, has warned his squad may have to play the rest of the season without two players due to a medical issue and a high-risk family member.

He's already broken the 20-goal mark for the third consecutive campaign but that is not enough these days. Scoring every other game is not deemed prolific enough and Sterling wants more.

With games set to be played behind closed doors, some clubs are opposed to 'neutral hubs' to finish the season, but Purslow says it is the 'duty' of all 20 clubs to find a workable solution.

The three teams occupying the Premier League's bottom three places have been warned that relegation could be imposed on them if they continue to obstruct plans to resume the season.